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Clockify Zapier integrationAutomate Clockify with Zapier.

The Clockify Zapier integration gives you 7 triggers, 7 actions and 6 searches to move clients, projects, tasks and timers in and out of Clockify. Below: what each one does, what it costs you, and where it tends to get stuck.

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Overview

What the Clockify Zapier integration actually does

Hooking Clockify up to Zapier means one thing in practice: something happens in your time tracker (a client, a project, a timer) and Zapier reacts by doing something for you, in Clockify or in another app. You set it up once. After that, nobody copies a client name by hand anymore.

Three results people usually build first. A tidy project list: New Client fires, Create Project opens a project under that client, and the team stops logging hours against “Misc”. A timer that starts on its own: another app hands over an event, Start Timer launches the clock, and Stop Timer ends it later. A clean tag catalog: Find Tag looks before Create Tag writes, so the same label never exists twice.

What Zapier does not do for Clockify matters just as much. All seven triggers are polling triggers, so nothing here reacts the second a timer starts: on the free plan, the check comes every 15 minutes. There is no action to edit or delete an existing time entry, client or project. And the catalog has no trigger for a timer that stops, only for a new entry and for a timer that starts.

If those limits bother you, the same app exists on other platforms. Compare with the Clockify n8n integration and the Clockify Make integration before you commit.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary in one minute

Seven words come back on every line of this page. Here they are, in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it, here a new client, project or timer.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that writes, sends or moves something for you, like creating a Clockify task.
Task
The unit Zapier bills: one action your Zap completes successfully. The count on your plan is a count of those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer by Zapier. An instant trigger is reported by the app itself. Every Clockify trigger polls.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap continue only when the incoming data matches your condition, and stops it quietly otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something that already exists, like a Clockify project, so the next steps can reuse what it found.
Cost

What a Clockify Zap really costs

Clockify is not a premium app, so it works from the free plan onward.

  • Free plan100 tasks a month
  • Zaps on freeTwo steps only
  • Premium appNo
  • Trigger cost0 tasks

The trigger never costs a task, however often Zapier checks Clockify. Each action that succeeds counts once, so a Zap with three actions eats three times more than a Zap with one. A failed action costs nothing. The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month, but only two-step Zaps: one trigger, one action. Add a filter or a search and the Zap becomes a multi-step Zap, which needs a paid plan, whatever app sits inside it.

Connect

Connect Clockify to Zapier in 3 steps

  1. 01

    Open your connections

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page of your account and click + Add connection. A connection is your Clockify account linked to Zapier once, then reused by every step that touches Clockify.

  2. 02

    Pick Clockify

    Type Clockify in the search box of the dialog, select it, then click Add connection. Clockify then opens in a new browser tab, where the next step happens.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Log in to Clockify in that tab and allow Zapier to reach the account. Use the account that actually belongs to the workspaces you want to automate: Zapier only sees what that login can see.

First Zap

Your first Zap: a project for every new client

GoalEach time a client appears in Clockify, open a project for it and add a first task, so hours land in the right place from day one.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap and pick the trigger

    Start a new Zap, choose Clockify as the app and New Client as the event. Select your connection, then the Workspace the Zap should watch.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger on real data

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent clients of that workspace, so you map the next steps on a real one rather than on an empty shape.

  3. 03

    Add Create Project

    Add a Clockify action, pick Create Project, set the same Workspace and map the client name into the project name. Decide whether the project is public to the whole workspace.

  4. 04

    Add Create Task

    Add Create Task, choose the Workspace first, then the Project field fills up. Map the project created just before and type a task name such as Kickoff.

  5. 05

    Test each step, then publish

    Test every step and read what came back. This Zap has two actions, so it needs a paid plan. When it looks right, click Publish to switch it on.

Triggers

Clockify triggers on Zapier

7 events start a Zap when something happens in Clockify. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New Client

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new client is added to a workspace.”

This one notices a client that someone added to a Clockify workspace and hands its name and details to the rest of your Zap. It is the natural starting point for anything that should exist once per customer, like a project or a folder.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
your sales team signs a new account and you want the tracking structure ready before the first hour is logged.
Watch out
the Workspace is required, so one Zap watches one workspace; several workspaces mean several Zaps.
2

New Project

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new project is added to a workspace.”

Fires on a project freshly added to a workspace. Your Zap gets the project and can react with tasks, tags, or a message elsewhere telling the team that a new job is open for tracking.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
a project manager opens a project and you want a standard set of tasks created under it every time, without a checklist.
Watch out
projects that existed before the Zap was published are never picked up; only new ones count.
3

New Tag

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new tag is added to a workspace.”

Watches the tag list of a workspace and starts the Zap when a label appears. If your team sorts its hours with tags, a new one may deserve a reaction elsewhere.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
you keep a reference list of tags in another tool and want it to stay in step with what people really create in Clockify.
Watch out
a Zap that creates tags in the same workspace it watches will set itself off again; keep the two apart.
4

New Task

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new task is added to a project on a specified workspace.”

Reacts to a task added under one specific project. It is the narrowest of the Clockify triggers: you aim it at a single project, and only tasks born there start the Zap.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
one long project gets new deliverables regularly and the client wants to hear about each one as it is opened.
Watch out
the Project field only fills up once the Workspace is chosen, and both are required; set them in that order or the list stays blank.
5

New Time Entry

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new time entry is added.”

Picks up a time entry once it is added to the workspace. This is the trigger for anything built on hours that people already logged: reports, invoicing prep, or a weekly recap elsewhere.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
you copy every logged block of time into a spreadsheet or a billing tool so finance never has to export by hand.
Watch out
entries imported in bulk can arrive as a large batch that Zapier holds back for safety.
6

New Timer Started

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new entry is started and running.”

Different from the previous one: it catches a timer the moment it is running, before anyone stops it. Your Zap knows that someone is on the clock now, and on which work.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
you want a status message that tells the team who has started on which client, without asking in chat.
Watch out
on the free plan a short timer can start and stop between two checks, so the Zap may never see it running; a paid plan checks more often.
7

New Workspace

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new workspace is created.”

The only Clockify trigger with no Workspace to pick, since its whole job is to spot a brand new one. It is the one to use if your organization opens new workspaces over time.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
every new workspace should get its default clients and tags without someone rebuilding them by hand.
Watch out
Zapier only sees the workspaces your connected account belongs to.
Actions

Clockify actions on Zapier

Clockify gives you 7 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Task

Action

In Zapier“Creates a task on a specified project.”

Adds a task under a project you point at, so the people tracking time can pick it instead of typing free text.

When to use it
a deliverable is approved in your project tool and should become something hours can be logged against.
Watch out
Workspace, Project and Task name are all required, and the Project list only appears once the Workspace is set.
2

Create Client

Action

In Zapier“Creates a client on a specified workspace.”

Writes a new client into a workspace from data that arrived in an earlier step, typically a signed deal or a form.

When to use it
your CRM marks a deal as won and the client should exist in Clockify the same day.
Watch out
if the same name can come twice, use Find Client with its create option instead, so the client is only added when it is missing.
3

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Creates a project on a specified workspace.”

Opens a project in a workspace, with a name and two switches: public or not, billable or not.

When to use it
every new client or every new contract should come with a project ready to receive hours.
Watch out
a public project is visible to everyone in the workspace, which you may not want for a sensitive client.
4

Create Tag

Action

In Zapier“Creates a tag on a specified workspace.”

Adds a label to the tag list of a workspace, ready to be put on time entries.

When to use it
a new service line or a new cost center appears somewhere else and you want people to tag their hours with it.
Watch out
a tag created twice under the same name clutters the list; check first with Find Tag.
5

Create Time Entry

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new time entry on a specified workspace.”

Logs a finished block of time, with a start and an end, on a workspace. You can also say whether it is billable.

When to use it
meetings from a calendar or calls from a phone tool should show up as hours without anyone retyping them.
Watch out
both dates are required and the end must come after the start, or the step fails.
6

Start Timer

Action

In Zapier“Starts a new time entry.”

Starts a running timer on a workspace, the same as someone clicking start in Clockify, optionally flagged as billable.

When to use it
a support ticket is assigned or a call begins in another tool, and the clock should start with it.
Watch out
nothing stops it on its own; plan a second Zap with Stop Timer.
7

Stop Timer

Action

In Zapier“Stops currently running time entry on a specified workspace.”

Ends whatever timer is currently running on the workspace you pick. It needs no entry to point at, only the Workspace.

When to use it
the ticket is closed or the call ends, and the time should stop being counted.
Watch out
it only acts on a timer that is already running; Find Running Timer tells you whether one is.
Searches

Clockify searches: find before you create

6 search steps look for data that already exists in Clockify, so a later step can use it.

A search step looks inside Clockify before the Zap writes anything. In the editor, searches sit at the bottom of the action list, under their own SEARCH heading. Each one below also has a find-or-create version: it is the same search with a box ticked, not an extra operation. Three settings decide what happens next.

1

Find Client

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a client by name on a specified workspace.”

Looks a client up by name in a workspace and hands its details to the next step, so you can attach a project to the right customer.

When to use it
invoices or deals arrive with a company name and you need the matching Clockify client.
Watch out
ticking the create option gives you Find or create client, which adds the client when the name is unknown.
2

Find Project

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a project by name on a specified workspace.”

Finds a project by its name inside a workspace. The steps after it can then log time or add tasks to that exact project.

When to use it
an incoming request names a project and the Zap needs it before creating a task.
Watch out
with its create option it becomes Find or create project, so a typo in the name quietly opens a new project.
3

Find Running Timer

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a currently running time entry on a specified workspace.”

Checks whether a timer is currently ticking on the workspace and returns it if so. It only needs the Workspace.

When to use it
before starting a new timer, you want to know whether someone is already on the clock.
Watch out
its create version, Find running time entry or start a new time entry, starts a timer when none is running.
4

Find Tag

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a tag on a specified workspace.”

Searches the tag list of a workspace for a given name, so a later step can apply an existing label.

When to use it
a category comes from another app and must match a tag that already exists in Clockify.
Watch out
the create option turns it into Find or create tag, the clean way to avoid duplicate tags.
5

Find Task

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a task by name on a specified project and workspace.”

Locates a task by name, but only inside one project of one workspace, so you must give both before the task name.

When to use it
time from another tool should be logged against a specific task that already exists.
Watch out
Find or create task, its create version, adds the task to that project when the name matches nothing.
6

Find Time Entry

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a time entry by description, start datetime or end datetime.”

Looks for an existing entry by its description, its start or its end, within a workspace.

When to use it
you want to know whether a meeting was already logged before writing it a second time.
Watch out
ticked as Find or create time entry, it logs a new entry when no match turns up, so set its dates carefully.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap there and the later steps are skipped. Switched on, the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking it turns the search into find-or-create: the setting above disappears and the step asks for the fields it needs to create the missing item.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out when several items match: keep the first one, which is the default, stop the Zap, or pass all of them on at once.
When it breaks

When a Clockify Zap breaks

Zapier attaches no help article to Clockify and no Clockify-specific limit is documented. What breaks is the general mechanics of Zapier, and four cases come back again and again.

Most problems show up in the Zap history as a step that did not run, or ran twice. Before you rebuild anything, read which case matches. The Zapier troubleshooting guide goes deeper when none of them fits.

  • Old entries are never picked up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Clients, projects and hours that existed before stay out; moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • The Zap keeps setting itself off

    If a Zap creates tags in the workspace its New Tag trigger watches, each new tag starts it again and your task count drains fast.

  • A bulk import gets held back

    When a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, say after importing a year of time entries, Zapier's flood protection can pause it before any action runs.

  • No double runs on the same item

    Zapier remembers what a polling trigger already saw, so the same client or entry does not start the Zap twice. Editing it later will not fire it again either.
Need help

Need help automating Clockify with Zapier?

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FAQ

Clockify Zapier integration: questions people ask

01Is the Clockify Zapier integration free?
Yes, as long as your Zap has two steps. Clockify is not a premium app, so the free Zapier plan accepts it, with 100 tasks a month. The catch is the shape of the Zap: on the free plan you get one trigger and one action, nothing more. As soon as you add a second Clockify action, a filter or a search such as Find Client, the Zap becomes multi-step and needs a paid plan. The seven triggers poll Clockify every 15 minutes on that plan.
02How many Zapier tasks does a Clockify Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and nothing for the trigger. A Zap that watches New Time Entry and runs one action spends one task per entry. If the same Zap creates a project and then a task, it spends two per run. Checking Clockify for new items costs nothing, however often Zapier looks. An action that fails is not counted against your plan either, so a broken step drains nothing, but it also does nothing.
03Does Clockify trigger Zaps in real time?
No. All seven Clockify triggers are polling triggers: Zapier asks Clockify for new items on a timer instead of being told the moment something happens. On the free plan the check comes every 15 minutes, on Professional every 2, on Team and Enterprise every minute. Paid plans can also run a check by hand from the editor. If you need the exact second a timer starts, plan for that delay or pick a higher plan.
04What does it take to connect Clockify to Zapier?
A Clockify account and a Zapier account. You add the connection from the Apps page of Zapier, sign in to Clockify in the tab that opens and grant access. The account you use must belong to every workspace you want to automate, because each Clockify step asks for a Workspace and only lists those the login can reach. For work you do not own, you also need read or write access on it.
05Why does the Project list stay empty in a Clockify step?
Because the Workspace is not set yet. In Create Task, New Task and Find Task, the Project field depends on the Workspace chosen above it, and both are required. Pick the Workspace first, then the projects of that workspace load into the list. If the list still stays empty, the connected account probably has no access to that workspace: reconnect with an account that belongs to it, then pick the Workspace again.
06What if a Clockify action you need does not exist on Zapier?
Then the catalog simply does not offer it, and no setting will add it. Zapier lists 7 actions for Clockify, all about creating clients, projects, tasks, tags and time entries, or starting and stopping a timer. Editing or deleting an existing entry is not among them. The usual way around is another tool: the same app is available on Make and n8n with their own catalogs, so compare both before you build a workaround.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Clockify?
It depends on what matters to you, not on a winner. Clockify works on the free Zapier plan, but every trigger polls and multi-step Zaps need a paid plan. For Make and n8n, look at their own Clockify pages. Compare the operations each one offers for Clockify against what your workflow really needs, and weigh the tool your team already uses. If polling every 15 minutes is too slow for you, check how each platform handles that too.
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